In an additive manufacturing process, virtual heart valve models are created with the aid of a CT scan and a preeflow eco-PEN300 one-component dispenser: Fergal Coulter from the “Complex Materials Group” of ETH Zurich undertook research for medical technology – more precisely for the additive manufacturing of artificial heart valves. They were manufactured using custom medical-grade polysiloxanes, together with chemicals which resulted in stiff, medium, or soft silicones following UV-triggered polymerization. These materials conform to biocompatibility standards for cytotoxicity, as well as irritation and skin sensitization.

A customized 3D printed mandrel is produced, derived from a patient’s C/T scan. As one of several production steps, a part of the artificial heart valve is applied by using the eco-PEN dispenser. The dispenser is also used to print silicone reinforcing fibers onto the leaflets and then strengthen the edges. The non-leaflet areas of the valve (the “intraaortic triangles”) are constructed according to the scan of the patient’s aortic root. Then the silicone is cross-linked with UV light. In the second step, a silicone mold of the aortic root is created. An alginate is used to temporarily encapsulate the valve. The cap protects the valve leaflets and allows an over-hanging artificial vasculature and integrated stent to be applied. For this purpose, the assembly is scanned with a 1-dimensional laser. The surface is virtually recreated by computer. And the tool paths for an auxetic stent geometry are calculated. Afterwards, the eco-PEN300 is used again for printing: The printed struts are about 0.3 mm thick. Now the valve mandrel can be removed. The alginate cap is removed by oven dehydration. Depending on whether a coating was sprayed on as an intermediate step or not, the final result is a patient-specific artificial heart valve with a covered or windowed aortic stent.
 
The design of the completed heart valves is inspired by human biology (3-leaflet valves). Depending on the requirements, an individual geometry is implemented to obtain a tailor-made synthetic product. Through digital fabrication, an artificial valve is created as a functional implant. In contrast to the existing mechanical heart valves and tissue valves, this method is seen as promising for future applications.
The reasons for promising future applications:

• Completely individual heart valves are possible (based on a CT scan of the patient’s own heart valve).
• The products are inexpensive to manufacture.
• Due to the materials used, immunosuppressors (blood thinners) may not be necessary in the future.
• Not only the design and geometry of the printed heart valve is similar to its biological counterpart, but also its functionality, which has been tested in detail on physiological blood pressure in Coulter’s experiments.
• The printed fiber-reinforced heart valve has lower mechanical stress and outstanding hemodynamics (= science of the movement of blood in the vascular system).

The task of the eco-PEN dispenser is to ensure the stability of the heart valve and atrioventricular valves. So that the system does not collapse when used under physiological conditions. As described above, the eco-PEN300 prints a part of the heart valve as well as a stent (= medical implant to keep vessels or hollow organs open) or a stent like structure for stability. The eco-PEN therefore also constructs the framework for the heart valve.
For implementation in this sensitive area, perfectly consistent precision in the area of micro dispensing is important: Repeatability must be guaranteed in dispensing such small quantities. Here the lightweight preeflow dispensers were able to convince. As the needle must always point perpendicularly to the precisely manufactured mandrel, its dispensing technology is complemented by an agile robot system.
Fergal Coulter about working with the preeflow dispenser: “The eco-PEN is an excellent extruder when printing with multiple different materials that have different viscosities and rheological properties. The precise volumetric dispensing of the pen removes variation in flow of the extrudate during long prints and reduces time spent in tailoring pressure profiles to achieve a constant material flow.”
An overview of the advantages of the high precision preeflow dispensers:

• Simple and flexibly adaptable to individual geometries
• Easy integration (the eco-PEN300 is used with a spacing of 300 µm and perpendicular to the curvature of the surface to be covered)
• Smallest dispensing quantities with absolute repeatability of > 99 %

To meet the requirements of the 3D printing market, ViscoTec has established its own Business Development Additive Manufacturing in 2016. The portfolio has been expanded: In the meantime, various 3D print heads have been developed, which can print both one- and two-component fluids and pastes and are even better suited for additive manufacturing.
 
https://www.preeflow.com/
 

Scientists develop a novel and surprisingly simple method to print 3D structures made of metal and plastic, paving the way for 3D electronics
Current 3D printers employ either plastic or metal only, and the conventional method to coat 3D plastic structures with metal is not environment-friendly and yields poor results. Now, scientists from Waseda University, Japan, have developed a metal–plastic hybrid 3D printing technique that produces plastic structures with a highly adhesive metal coating on desired areas. This approach extends the use of 3D printers to 3D electronics for future robotics and Internet-of-Things applications.
Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has evolved tremendously over the last decade to the point where it is now viable for mass production in industrial settings. Also known as “additive manufacturing,” 3D printing allows one to create arbitrarily complex 3D objects directly from their raw materials. In fused filament fabrication, the most popular 3D printing process, a plastic or metal is melted and extruded through a small nozzle by a printer head and then immediately solidifies and fuses with the rest of the piece. However, because the melting points of plastics and metals are very different, this technology has been limited to creating objects of either metal or plastic only—until now.

In a recent study published in Additive Manufacturing, scientists from Waseda University, Japan, developed a new hybrid technique that can produce 3D objects made of both metal and plastic. Professor Shinjiro Umezu, who led the study, explains their motivation: “Even though 3D printers let us create 3D structures from metal and plastic, most of the objects we see around us are a combination of both, including electronic devices. Thus, we thought we’d be able to expand the applications of conventional 3D printers if we managed to use them to create 3D objects made of both metal and plastic.”
Their method is actually a major improvement over the conventional metallization process used to coat 3D plastic structures with metal. In the conventional approach, the plastic object is 3D-printed and then submerged in a solution containing palladium (Pd), which adheres to the object’s surface. Afterwards, the piece is submerged in an electroless plating bath that, using the deposited Pd as a catalyst, causes dissolved metal ions to stick to the object. While technically sound, the conventional approach produces a metallic coating that is non-uniform and adheres poorly to the plastic structure.
In contrast, in the new hybrid method, a printer with a dual nozzle is used; one nozzle extrudes standard melted plastic (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or ABS) whereas the other extrudes ABS loaded with PdCl2. By selectively printing layers using one nozzle or the other, specific areas of the 3D object are loaded with Pd. Then, through electroless plating, one finally obtains a plastic structure with a metallic coating over selected areas only.
The scientists found the adhesion of the metal coating to be much higher when using their approach. What’s more, because Pd is loaded in the raw material, their technique does not require any type of roughening or etching of the ABS structure to promote the deposition of the catalyst, unlike the conventional method. This is especially important when considering that these extra steps cause damage not only to the 3D object itself, but to the environment as well, owing to the use of toxic chemicals like chromic acid. Lastly, their approach is entirely compatible with existing fused filament fabrication 3D printers.
Umezu believes that metal–plastic hybrid 3D printing could become very relevant in the near future considering its potential use in 3D electronics, which is the focus of upcoming Internet-of-Things and artificial intelligence applications. In this regard, he adds: “Our hybrid 3D printing method has opened up the possibility of fabricating 3D electronics so that devices and robots used in healthcare and nursing care could become significantly better than what we have today.”
This study hopefully paves the way for hybrid 3D printing technology that will enable us to get the best of both worlds—metal and plastic combined.
https://www.waseda.jp

Geleen (NL), 1 December 2020 – Driven by a shared vision of sustainability and strong collaboration, DSM, SABIC, Cepsa, Fibrant, and Viscofan have together created a multi-barrier casing for meat products made via advanced recycling of post-consumer plastics. The transition towards recycled-based multi-layer films enables the packaging industry to adopt a more sustainable solution without compromising on functional performance. The development of this packaging material underlines a strong commitment to enabling a circular economy by working together with partners throughout the value chain, and addresses the increasing consumer, societal and regulatory demand for more sustainable multi-layer barrier casing solutions.

Produced by Viscofan, the newly developed sustainable casing consists of several layers of different polymers. DSM Engineering Materials supplies the high-performance certified circular polyamide (PA) Akulon^® CRC-MB, and SABIC supplies the high-performance certified circular polyethylene (PE)* from its TRUCIRCLE^™ portfolio of circular solutions. Both products are based on used and post-consumer plastics which would otherwise be discarded as landfill or lost to incineration. Using advanced recycling, the used plastic is converted into new feedstock, which then enters the production chain to deliver new virgin-quality materials.
Jason Zhang, VP Business Lines Performance Polymers at DSM Engineering Materials: “By introducing Akulon^® CRC-MB, DSM is taking an exciting next step in its sustainability journey. The co-development of a recycled-based film for packaging applications underlines DSM’s commitment to working closely with partners, customers and suppliers to realize a more sustainable value chain and economy.”
Mark Vester, Global Circular Economy Leader at SABIC: “We’re committed to finding innovative solutions that help to capture value from used plastic which would otherwise have been discarded. This includes collaborating with players across the entire value chain to provide access to more sustainable materials, made using our TRUCIRCLE^™ portfolio of circular solutions, and to work towards a circular economy for plastics. We are delighted to work with partners including Cepsa, Fibrant, DSM and Viscofan to help make this vision a reality.”
The high-performance certified circular polyamide Akulon^® CRC-MB is produced through a strong value chain collaboration involving a range of partners applying a mass-balancing approach**. Firstly, SABIC produces certified circular benzene, based on materials produced via feedstock recycling of mixed-used plastics, which is used by Cepsa to make certified circular phenol. Fibrant then uses the phenol to produce certified circular caprolactam EcoLactam^®, which is provided to DSM to produce its certified circular polyamide. Finally, Viscofan combines the certified circular polyethylene and polyamide to produce the multi-barrier film used to create casings for a variety of meat products.
Paul Habets, Director Marketing & Sales at Fibrant: “We’re proud that our EcoLactam^® Circular is used in Viscofan’s newly developed product. This is an important milestone for us and our value chain partners supporting the development of sustainable and circular products. EcoLactam^® means high-quality caprolactam with a lower environmental footprint. Together, we’re making important steps toward  a carbon-neutral society.”
All of the advanced recycled materials within the value chain will have the globally recognized ISCC Plus certification and will not require re-qualification.
Multi-layer barrier films inherently offer strong sustainability advantages by helping to reduce preventable food waste – which accounts for 8% of total global greenhouse gas emissions – and extending the shelf-life of food products. What’s more, using post-consumer plastics as a feedstock mitigates the depletion of natural resources, reduces the accumulation of plastic waste and improves the environmental footprint.
Óscar Ponz, Chief Plastic Business Officer at Viscofan: “By combining our capacity for innovation and the latest available technology, we have today reached a unique solution in the market using post-consumer recycled plastics. In our sustainable casings program, next to today’s achievement, we’re also in a position to offer bio-based alternatives to our customers. Today’s announcement is a result of the shared commitment to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally friendly for a more sustainable future. This important project is being developed with the collaboration of important Viscofan customers like ElPozo.”
www.dsm.com

• Borealis eliminates single-use plastic cups at its four sites in Belgium as part of a close-the-loop pilot project
• Founded on the principles of Reduce – Reuse – Recycle, the project reduces plastic material use by a factor of 20
• 1.5 million single-use cups replaced with 30,000 reusable lightweight cups, collected and washed for reuse before ultimately being recycled
• The reusable cups can be mechanically recycled into high-quality recyclate, once again suitable for use as cups in the scheme, thereby closing the recycling loop  

Borealis is spearheading an innovative new pilot to test the advantages of a double-closed loop reuse and recycling system, leading the transition towards a more circular economy of plastics, fully in line with its EverMinds ambition. Borealis Closes The Loop sees Borealis and its value-chain partners replace the 1.5 million single-use cups used annually at four of its Belgium sites with 30,000 reusable EcoCore cups. Part of Borealis’ mission to Reduce – Reuse – Recycle, the pilot first reduces the weight of plastics through these extremely lightweight cups, then reuses them to maximise their lifetime before seeking to recycle back into cups. This double-closed loop system is Borealis’ latest innovation in driving the circular economy of plastics, expanding their scope up the waste hierarchy towards reduce and reuse, and using their own sites to demonstrate the benefits.
Double-closed loop recycling has the power to transform sustainability practices
Many reuse initiatives today focus on the consumer, for example reusable cup schemes run by high-street coffee shops. Schemes like this can have a relatively low uptake as the burden is on the consumer to decide whether or not they reuse a cup. In the business environment, reuse schemes are less prevalent and there is widespread consumption of single-use plastic cups. By using a double-closed loop, the pilot aims to make reuse schemes more sustainable and economically viable. Replacing 1.5 million single-use cups with 30,000 reusable cups, weighing 15 grammes per cup, results in a material saving of 4.2 tons of single-use plastic per year.
Borealis Closes The Loop pilot project works as follows:

• Lightweight and durable EcoCore® foamed cups from Bockatech – engineered to require less material, with faster cycle times to lower material costs, energy use and environmental impact – reduce the amount of plastic from the outset.
• Produced locally by Miko Pac, the CO2 breakeven of these cups versus single use is only at two refills per day.
• Using Miko Coffee Services machines, employees reuse the same cup throughout the day, eliminating on average four single-use consumptions. Cups are collected and washed by facilities company Goodless.
• Cups are individually tagged with unique Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips so the reuse cycle of each cup can be traced. This digitalisation means the system can be further optimised, for example analysing how many cups have been used and potentially reducing the number in circulation.
• When cups are removed from the reuse loop (for example due to wear and tear or damage), they move on to the material recycling loop.
• The cups can then be mechanically recycled into food-approved recycled material, which can be used to create more reusable cups, thereby fully closing the loop. This is as opposed to open-loop recycling, where material is often downcycled into a lesser quality product.

Findings and learnings from the pilot will be captured, recorded and published to demonstrate how to design and set up robust reuse systems superior to single-use plastics. Borealis will support its customers and value-chain partners with the implementation of further closed-loop systems.
“As a leading polyolefins producer, Borealis takes a 360° approach in driving the transition to a circular economy in alignment with our EverMinds ambition. With design for circularity at its core, Borealis Closes The Loop pilot project adopts our principles of Reduce – Reuse – Recycle,” says Lucrèce Foufopoulos, Borealis Executive Vice President Polyolefins, Circular Economy Solutions and Innovation & Technology. “Life demands progress. It’s only by walking the talk that we can inspire the entire value-chain to close loops with us. As an industry, it’s critical we take ownership of where plastics end up. The double closed-loop system is another development in reducing the amount of plastics waste. This is how we re-invent for more sustainable living.”
www.borealisclosestheloop.com

The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) is celebrating its 70 th year. Formed in 1950 as the Thermoplastic Pipe Division of the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), PPI is now the leading North American trade association representing all segments of the plastic pipe industry, and is known for its research, its work to develop industry standards and codes, advocacy and education.

“Since the very beginning, PPI has provided the vision and the leadership that has produced
the establishment of uniform test and design criteria that became the foundation for all current
applications of plastics piping,” stated PPI President David Fink.
“PPI created the methodology for rating the long-term strength of pipe materials plus the
concepts of pipe pressure rating, the establishment of standard dimensional ratios and the
adoption of numbers to state those properties. Our association staff and members also
engineered the first code acceptances for plumbing, industrial, commercial and gas distribution
applications for plastics piping, and provided the first industry-wide statistics. Today, that work
continues and includes telecommunications conduit, corrugated drainage pipe, along with pipe
used in potable water, forced main sanitary sewer systems and building and construction projects.”
In 1950, when the group was first formed as the Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association,
plastic pipe was still in its infancy, having been developed during World War II as a way to insulate
radar cables. Solid-wall high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe began replacing metal pipe in oil- and gas-gathering systems in the late 1950s. In the early 1960s, gas utilities started replacing
failing iron pipe with polyethylene (PE) pipe, and because of its successful performance history,
95 percent of all new gas distribution systems installed today use PE pipe. A few years later,
corrugated HDPE pipe started to replace clay pipe in agricultural drainage systems. In the late
1980s, large-diameter corrugated HDPE pipe began to replace metal and concrete in storm water
culverts. The material has continued to evolve into what is now its third and fourth generation of
development, each with improved performance capabilities.
“PPI has always been ‘member-run, member-led,” Fink stated. “The continuing success
and growth of our association is a direct result of the enthusiastic work by those members. One
indication of how our members view their association can be determined by the many people who
have participated for several decades.”
Frequently, PPI presents its Lifetime Achievement Award to a member who provided
exceptional devotion and dedication to the industry. Jim Craig was honored in 2013 for his 40
years of service to the industry and said, “I am proud to be a lifetime member of PPI. It is a great
organization with a super staff to help the members accomplish great gains in the plastic pipe
markets. I joined PPI in the 1980s, while working for McElroy Manufacturing in Tulsa, OK. I quickly
learned that this organization was great at getting people and organizations together to grow the
PE industry in general. We had pipe manufacturers, resin manufacturers, fitting manufacturers,
joining manufacturers and distribution organizations take on projects, do testing, and develop
technical notes and reports with everyone working together to accomplish our goals.”
“Unfortunately, Jim passed away soon after providing his thoughts about PPI,” explained
Fink. “His contributions and devotion to PPI and the industry is his legacy that will always benefit
others.”
Another Lifetime Member, George Zagorski, now retired from Blue Diamond Industries
(Lexington, KY), offered, “I was a somewhat “reluctant” young volunteer when Blue Diamond first
joined PPI some 15 years ago.  What I discovered was likeminded professionals, who would
debate and cooperate for the betterment of the overall plastic piping industry.  Along the way, my
voice was always heard and considered.  In the end, I’ve developed not only professional
relationships, but lifelong friendships.” Zagorski also served on the PPI Board of Directors from
2011 to 2017 as vice chair, chair and past chair plus numerous other committees and task groups.
In 1963, Phillips Petroleum, the company that brought a new manufacturing process to the
industry for making HDPE and discovered how to make polypropylene 1951, now another popular
pipe resin, and in 1963 established its pipe division, Driscopipe, which is now known as
Performance Pipe. Harvey Svetlik, another long-time PPI member who started his career with
Phillips Driscopipe and recently retired from PPI-member company Georg Fischer Central Plastics
LLC, said, “PPI is the leader in the polyolefin pipe industry specifically and in the plastic pipe
industry generally. PPI is not so much about what it has accomplished in the past, as it is about
our polyethylene brotherhood and our commitment to future accomplishment.
“We have watched the industry grow from using 80 million pounds in 1980 to almost a
couple of billion pounds annually for all its applications and all its pipe types. The next 40 years
will witness a doubling yet again, as polyethylene pipes and fittings take their place as a dominant
leak-free system in the drinking water sector. The North American population will double in this
timeframe, creating the demand, along with the need to replace half of existing water distribution
pipes due to their deterioration.  PPI has led and will lead the market in plastic pipe technology,
standards, and associations.” Svetlik received his PPI Lifetime Membership in 2019.
In 1975 the Corrugated Polyethylene Tubing Association was created. Later known as the
Corrugated Polyethylene Pipe Association it became the Drainage Division of PPI in 2019. It
focuses on the use of corrugated pipe that can be found up to 60 inches in diameter for stormwater
and gravity sewer systems. “The members of this division are some of the largest users in the
United States of recycled plastic,” Fink said. “One company processes more than 550 million
pounds of post-consumer recycled plastics for its pipe products. Keeping this large amount of
material out of landfills is possible because of the growing demand for this type of pipe.”
In 2011, PPI bestowed an Honorary Lifetime Membership on Drainage Division member
James Goddard, P.E. recognizing his more than 30 years of contributions and industry
innovations. Goddard retired from Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) as the company's
Chief Engineer.
“Now with a uniform, consistent voice, PPI and specifically the Drainage Division, can go out
to federal agencies such as the U. S. Department of Transportation, EPA, Army Corps of
Engineers, and others plus state agencies, such as Departments of Transportation, as well as
significant organizations such as AASHTO with a common voice technically and that has helped
the industry to grow and prosper and has significantly benefited our nation.”
Fink and his organization foresee increased use for plastic pipe. “The trend to create more
applications along with enhanced grades of resin and even new resins continues to accelerate at a
rapid rate,” he stated. “And we fully expect this continue for the next 70 years. PPI’s first 70 years
has been an exciting journey.”
www.plasticpipe.org.